标签： Asia

A prominent Palestinian civil society organization has issued a stark warning that recent administrative and political decrees by the Palestinian Authority (PA) are exacerbating internal fractures during a period of profound national crisis. The Palestinian National Popular Action Forum, in a December 23rd declaration, stated it is observing these developments against the backdrop of what it characterizes as genocide and systematic starvation in Gaza, coupled with accelerated settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank.

The Forum specifically highlighted Israel’s advancement of plans for 19 new settlements and the forced displacement of northern refugee camps. It interprets these actions as components of a broader strategy to dismantle the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and ultimately nullify the Palestinian refugee issue.

The group’s statement expressed deep concern that, amidst these existential threats, the official leadership is enacting measures under external pressure that starkly contravene popular will and lack national consensus. A primary point of contention is the PA’s suspension of financial allocations to families of those killed, injured, or imprisoned by Israeli forces. The Forum asserts these payments constitute a fundamental national and moral duty enshrined in Palestinian law, not discretionary aid.

Further condemnation was directed at the transfer of responsibility for these payments to the government-affiliated Tamkeen Foundation, a move described as a blatant denial of rights. The Forum criticized the Foundation’s administrators for allegedly re-categorizing these families as mere ‘social cases’ rather than acknowledging their entitled national status.

Additional criticism targeted a new decree-law governing upcoming local elections, which the Forum argues effectively disenfranchises significant segments of Palestinian society. Provisions mandating that candidates declare alignment with the leadership’s commitments—including recognition of Israel and adherence to the Oslo Accords—were condemned as an assault on freedom of opinion and belief.

The statement also denounced plans to form a new Palestinian National Council through appointment instead of election, alongside alleged compliance with demands to remove national content from school curricula. The Forum warned such changes risk eroding Palestinian historical narrative, identity, and collective memory.

In response, the Forum pledged to mobilize efforts to reverse these policies. It issued a series of demands, including the reinstatement of payments to affected families, the abolition of the Tamkeen Foundation, a boycott of local elections under the current framework, and the defense of national educational content. It also renewed calls to rebuild the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on a democratic basis through comprehensive elections involving Palestinians both in the occupied territories and across the diaspora, vowing to continue the struggle for liberation and the full realization of national rights.

BEIJING – China has issued a firm diplomatic protest against the United States’ decision to impose additional tariffs on Chinese semiconductor products, denouncing the move as unjustified and contrary to international trade norms.

The Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yongqian stated on Thursday that China categorically rejects the findings of the US Section 301 investigation into China’s semiconductor policies. The strong response comes after the Office of the United States Trade Representative published investigation results outlining planned tariff measures against Chinese semiconductors.

According to the US plan, the tariffs will commence with a zero percent initial rate before escalating to a yet-to-be-determined higher level within an 18-month timeframe. The final tariff rate is scheduled to be announced at least 30 days prior to June 23, 2027.

China has formally expressed its objections through established bilateral consultation channels, utilizing the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism to lodge stern representations with American officials. The Chinese government maintains that the proposed tariffs represent an unfair trade practice that could disrupt global semiconductor supply chains and undermine international economic cooperation.

The escalating trade measures occur against the backdrop of ongoing technological competition between the world’s two largest economies. Semiconductor chips have become a focal point in this technological rivalry, with both nations implementing policies to strengthen their domestic capabilities in this critical industry.

Chinese officials emphasized their commitment to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises while calling for constructive dialogue to resolve trade differences. The ministry spokesperson reiterated China’s position supporting multilateral trade rules and opposing unilateral protectionist measures that could destabilize global markets.

In a historic parliamentary move, Algeria has unanimously enacted groundbreaking legislation that formally classifies France’s colonial occupation as a criminal act. The new law mandates an official apology and comprehensive reparations from France for its 132-year colonial rule, which resulted in approximately 1.5 million Algerian deaths during the independence struggle from 1954 to 1962.

The comprehensive legislation establishes France’s legal responsibility for colonial-era atrocities and asserts Algeria’s incontestable right to full compensation. The law additionally criminalizes any glorification of French colonial practices, marking a significant step in Algeria’s national reckoning with its traumatic past.

The parliamentary session culminated in emotional celebrations as lawmakers, draped in national colors, chanted ‘long live Algeria’ following the vote. The legislation specifically references the systemic violence, mass killings, torture, deportations, and second-class status imposed on native Algerian Muslims during French occupation that began in 1830.

This legislative action occurs amidst growing global demands for former colonial powers to address historical injustices through artifact repatriation and reparations. Algeria has specifically demanded the return of the 16th-century bronze cannon Baba Merzoug, taken by French forces in 1830 and currently located in Brest, France.

The political context remains complex, with French President Emmanuel Macron having previously characterized colonization as a ‘crime against humanity’ while stopping short of offering a formal apology. Meanwhile, far-right factions in France, including Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, continue to resist acknowledging colonial atrocities, with some members openly defending colonial practices.

Algeria recently hosted a conference of African states to advance reparations claims, with Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf emphasizing that restitution should constitute neither ‘a gift nor a favor.’ Historical experts note the persistence of colonial-era mentalities, with historian Benjamin Stora describing France’s current ‘obsession with Algeria’ as summoning a ‘colonial unconscious’ that continues to affect bilateral relations.